What’s the Best Type of E6000 Glue?
Comparing the many kinds of this popular adhesive
E6000 Craft Adhesive, 3.7 Fluid Ounces ($7)
E6000 High Viscosity Adhesive – 3.7 fl. oz. ($7)
12 Snip Tip Applicator Tips for E6000 Craft Glue ($6)
E6000 Craft Adhesive Mini (4 Pack) ($7)
High Viscosity Adhesive, 10.2 fl oz Cartridge ($11)
UV Resistant Industrial Adhesive, 3.7 fl oz Clear ($13)
Jewelry And Bead Adhesive With 4 Precision Applicator Tips ($7)
Fabri-Fuse Adhesive – 4 fl oz Bottle ($8)
Adhesive Spray, 4 Fluid Ounce ($6)
E6000 Medium Viscosity Industrial Strength Adhesive, Black ($9)
Transcript:
You can find this stuff in any hardware store and you can now find it in craft stores too because it’s a go-to for glueing things to fabric and leather. The reason people like this stuff is because it’s strong and permanent, like an epoxy, but has the flexibility of a silicone caulking. If I want to get something down quick, I go for my hot glue gun or some super glue. But if I want to make a lasting, permanent bond, I reach for this because it doesn’t get brittle.
But this particular tube design has its drawbacks. One is that it tends to dry out before you reach the end of the tube. Two is that the thick glob coming out of here is hard to work with and tends to smear around the threads of the opening, sealing it shut or making it impossible to put the lid back on.
So, two things I learned while doing research. One is that you can order a high-viscosity variation of this stuff in the same 3.7 ounce tube. It looks like this but says high-viscosity on the side. I’ll show you what the glue looks like a little later, but it’s essentially a runnier version that can be easier to work with.
The second thing I learned is that you can get inexpensive tips for these that screw on. I got a dozen for $6. You can cut the tip for exactly the size of bead you want to put down. When you’re done, a little tape on the tip is enough to seal it off.
Alright, so here’s another way to go. These are mini tubes of the same stuff. I got a 4-pack for $7. This solves two problems. It puts out a smaller bead of glue because it has a smaller opening. And you don’t have to worry as much about the glue drying out because there’s less glue at stake and the other tubes are sealed up until you need them.
On the other end of the spectrum, you can get E6000 in a 10 oz cartridge format. If you need to glue up a ton of barbie dolls to your Burning Man art car, this a cool way to do it. You can cut the tip to get the bead size you want, and you get the added control of the squeeze trigger. At $12, it’s a good value.
You can also get this stuff in high or medium viscosity. This one is high and I’ll show you what that looks like. Here’s a line of standard E6000. And here’s a line of high-viscosity. Still pretty goopy, but easier to work with, I think. It’s a similar feel to high-temp hot glue.
I also found out about UV E6800. This is a UV resistant variation of E6000 that comes in either a tube or a 10 oz. cartridge. It’s a little pricier, but if you’re using it on a boat or a car or something that’s going to stay outdoors and you don’t want the glue to yellow, it’s good to know this is an option.
Now, for crafters, there’s a lot of interesting E6000 variations on the market. One example is this 1 oz. tube of E6000 for Jewelry and Beads. I picked this up for $8 and I didn’t notice anything different about the adhesive itself compared to standard E6000. I did like, though, that it includes 3 metal tips to help place precise drops of the stuff. I was able to clear these out with compressed air and a small drill bit and reuse them over and over.
Next up, a real departure for E6000. It’s called Fabri-Fuse, it’s $9, and it’s specifically made for attaching things to fabric. It comes in different colors, including some glitter options. It’s definitely a different formulation from typical E6000. As an experiment, I tried using it for gluing up a 3D printing project and it didn’t work at all. But to be fair, it doesn’t list plastic as a compatible material. It worked great for gluing on a patch to my jacket, but if you’re hoping to use this for wearable electronics or LEDs, I’d stick with the standard E6000.
I also couldn’t resist checking out a E6000 spray. Again, don’t let the brand name name fool you. This is a different formulation that’s probably best suited for collages and crafts. It doesn’t put out a fine mist like a 3M Super 77, but it’s also not as stinky. Could be a great fit for some project, but not a great fit for what I’m doing at the moment.
Finally, just to bring us back to the original E6000 that I know and love, here’s one last variation on the original that I didn’t know about. E6000 black!
01/4/19(Cool Tools has a YouTube channel with many more tool reviews — editors)
